Sussex Road Relay Championships

I HAD a great plan for Saturday and was looking forward to it.   Park Run followed by the Sussex Road Relay Championshps.   Things didn't quite work out that way!

Park Run

Put my running gear out ready and set the alarm clock.   Got up nice and easy, made a cup of tea, stroked the cat and checked the time!   I've been on leave and hadn't used the alarm clock since the clocks went forwards.   I was an hour behind and couldn't get there in time!    So that was a non starter and I went back to bed leaving the cat to stare at her food bowl wondering what happened!

Sussex Road Relay Championships

This was the first time I have been a part of an event like this.   Run by England Athletics across the county I was at Christ's Hospital School nr. Horsham with a team from the Haywards Heath Harriers.   There were about 700 athletes in attendance from running clubs across Sussex.   God did I feel out of place!

The aim was to run two miles around the school course.   I had no knowledge of the route or how to pace it.   But it was less than a Park Run in distance so what's the worst that can happen?   It felt very lonely standing at the start line waiting for your team mate to arrive and hand over the baton.
 
It seemed to take an eternity, runners were coming in and handing over the baton and I was just standing there!   Then my teammate appears running towards the finish line. I grabbed the baton and shot off suddenly realising that I had two miles to go and needed to slow down and pace it!

It was a tough one because it's no longer about you.   You are running as a part of a team and you don't want to let them down.   Without knowing the course you are unsure where the hills are and where to conserve your energy.   But due to the distance only being two miles I just went for it as best as I could and enjoy the moment.

 

I was a good run, really enjoyed it and would definitely do it again.